"...And you want me to help with this? Why?"

I swallowed, the dryness in my throat making the words stick. Lei Ren, dwarfed by the high-backed chair in his opulent Jade Harmony suite, was a mountain in repose. His reaction to the whispered conspiracy, however, was not the eruption I feared. More like... a mild rumble. He didn't seem surprised when I spilled the situation to him.

"Because of your influence," I pressed on, my hands clenching and unclenching in my lap. "I've seen how the other judges defer to you. Elder Wei Lian's bias... with you there, it'd be harder for him to sway the results." Replacing Wei Lian was a pipe dream, not worth mentioning.

Lei Ren stroked his beard, snowy white against the silver of his robes. "Hm. If my fool of a son hadn't washed out, I'd have to refuse on principle. Judging kin... messy business." His sharp eyes flicked to Tao Ren, who beamed back unashamedly.

"What of the girl, then?" Lei Ren continued, his voice a low rasp. "Jingyu Lian. You heard her father gift-wrapping her the answers. Why not expose her now, be done with it?"

My gaze met his, Jingyu Lian's conflicted voice echoing in my memory. "I... want to give her a chance. To prove her own skill, not her father's underhandedness. But if she uses the envelope... then yes, exposure is the only fair outcome."

"To clarify, Kai here fancies the girl," Tao Ren piped up, leaning forward with a shit-eating grin. "Doesn't want to see her disqualified without goo—mmmph!"

I clamped a hand over Tao Ren's mouth, my cheeks burning. "Apologies, Master Lei Ren," I mumbled, hoping my embarrassment didn't show too much.

Lei Ren merely waved a dismissive hand. "Puppy love," he grunted, not unkindly. "But not my concern. My concern is... what do I get out of this?"

"Dad, come on! He's my friend!" Tao Ren protested, wriggling out from under my hand.

"Hush, boy," Lei Ren chided. "Friendship is fine, but business is business."

The question hit me like a bolt of lightning. Of course. Dealing with the Azure Silk Trading Company, the Silent Moon, and even the Verdant Lotus sect... everything in the Jianghu was about give and take. What could I, an alchemist with only potential to his name, offer a man like Lei Ren? My thoughts churned for a moment.

I straightened my spine, a spark igniting in my gut. "I understand, Master Lei Ren. This is a favor, and favors must be repaid." I met his gaze head-on, feeling the weight of it like a physical force. As I spoke, I gathered every bit of bravado I could muster. "Right now, I may not have much to offer. But that's only now."

I paused, letting the words hang in the air. "I am the holder of the Essence Extraction skill. I am allied with the Verdant Lotus sect. And with the path I walk, I will have the means to repay any debt I incur. Tenfold, if that's what it takes."

Lei Ren's eyebrows rose, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Bold words, young man. But are you sure you want to owe a debt to someone like me? I have a reputation for... extracting my due."

I didn't flinch. "From what I've seen of your son," I replied, a hint of a smile playing on my lips, "I believe you to be a man of honor, Master Lei Ren. And a man of honor keeps his word, just as I intend to keep mine."

For a long moment, Lei Ren was silent. Then, a deep chuckle rumbled from his chest, shaking his whole body. "Audacity," he said, a smile finally cracking his stern facade. "I like it. Very well, Kai Liu. I will help you. But remember..." His voice turned serious. "You owe me. And debts... must be paid."

Relief flooded through me, but I knew this was only the beginning.

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The conversation echoed in my mind as I divided my attention between the fragmented recipe in my hand and Master Lei Ren, seated amongst the other judges. He was an unmovable presence, a silent sentinel watching over Jingyu Lian as she delicately broke the seal on the envelope. Would he catch the slightest tremor in her hand, the flicker of her eyes as she glimpsed the forbidden knowledge within?

My gaze drifted to Jingyu Lian. Her face was pale, the porcelain skin stretched taut over high cheekbones. With trembling fingers, she unfolded the paper inside the envelope, her eyes scanning the contents for a heart-stopping moment.

What was she thinking? Would she succumb to temptation, betraying her own pride and skill for a hollow victory?

I left it in her hands. I did what I could.

Jingyu Lian's eyes flickered towards Elder Wei Lian, who sat in the center of the arena, a smug smirk twisting his lips. A muscle twitched in her jaw, and something sparked within her eyes.

Then, with a deep breath, she opened the envelope, letting all the scattered pieces of the recipe fall before crushing the envelope containing the answers with one hand and tossing it away.

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Ma Hualong’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Kai Liu, it would be wise to focus on the recipe in front of you rather than the other contestants.”

I flushed with embarrassment, realizing I had been caught staring. “Sorry,” I mumbled, quickly turning my attention back to my station. But I couldn't help but smile, seeing that happen. I'd be facing Jingyu Lian at her best, and that's how I wanted it to be.

The brush and paper were still waiting, the partially translated recipe enclosed in the envelope next to them. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind and focus. The doubts and worries about her faded, replaced by the anticipation of the task ahead. I could do this. I had to.

I picked up the brush, preparing myself for the challenge. With a steady hand, I opened the envelope and pulled out the paper inside, It was torn to pieces, much like Jingyu Lian's and the other contestants. I'd need to put them together and get an understanding of how much of the recipe is missing.

The recipe pieces were torn into similarly-sized squares, each one a fragment of the whole. It was like putting together a puzzle. I took a moment to steady my breathing, then got to work. My hands moved swiftly, my focus narrowing to the task before me. Within seconds, I had pieced the fragments together.

The title of the recipe, Violet Bloom Antidote, stood out clearly. But as I scanned the rest of the page, my heart sank. Most of the ingredients were missing, and bits and pieces of the steps were too fragmented to make out clearly. This would be a challenge.

I muttered the title under my breath, trying to commit it to memory. Violet Bloom Antidote. An antidote meant complex interactions, precise measurements, and a thorough understanding of the properties of each ingredient. But with so many pieces missing, I'd need to rely on my intuition and knowledge.

Ma Hualong’s voice resonated in the arena, providing a calming backdrop to the tension. "You have thirty minutes to analyze the recipe and create a list of ingredients and tools you require. Remember, the top three performers from the previous round can ask me one question each, which I will answer with a simple yes or no."

This was my chance. I needed to use my question wisely.

The fragments of the recipe were scattered across my station, each one a clue to the final product. I picked up the brush and started to write down what I knew so far, a way of visualizing and seeing what I'd need.

The known ingredients so far was Wolfsbane and Bloodthorn Seeds. The former, a potent poison, but when processed, turned into a medicine that could combat fevers. The latter ingredient, however, was troubling since the only recipe I knew it was used for was the forbidden Blood-Bursting Pill, which was as dangerous as it sounded.

I wanted to rip my hair out in frustration. This was harder than I thought it'd be!

I glanced over at the steps to create antidote. Filled with broken sentences cleverly taking out the name of the ingredients, they still read out words that would glean some clues onto what the other ingredients potentially were.

"...until it is charred. So there's two ingredients, both of which need to be charred."

Charred ingredients often meant activated charcoal. I recalled Ma Hualong mentioning this antidote providing a foundation build upon for alchemy. Activated charcoal was a key component, preventing poison from being absorbed from the stomach into the body, used in most antidotes today. Now, I had to figure out which herbs were used in the process to make this activated charcoal.

I needed to focus. I closed my eyes and entered my Memory Palace, where I stored all the herbal knowledge I had accumulated over the years. Ma Hualong had mentioned the symptoms of the Amethyst Plague: purple skin, high fevers, hemorrhaging, and dysentery. I mentally sifted through the myriad of herbs I had archived, searching for ones that could counteract these symptoms.

Rare ingredients were unlikely since the antidote had to be distributed widely. It had to be something common, accessible to all. I honed in on two candidates that fit the bill: lotus rhizomes and skullcaps. Both were known for their detoxifying properties and were common enough to be used in an antidote distributed throughout the province.

With my choices made, I opened my eyes, exiting my Memory Palace. I didn't have time to hesitate. My instincts and experience as a herbalist would have to guide me.

I picked up my brush and wrote down the ingredients, including the lotus rhizomes and skullcaps as the ones to be charred.

My eyes flitted over to the rest of the competition. Zhi Ruo was deep in thought, muttering quickly under his breath. Jingyu Lian tapped on the table's surface incessantly. Bai Hua seemed completely at ease, humming to himself as he looked over the recipe with a critiquing eye. I was surprised; of all the contestants, I thought he'd be struggling the most.

Never mind that! I needed to focus. If those two were combined to make activated charcoal, then that left only two ingredients to figure out.

My eyes caught a crucial fragment in the steps that mentioned slicing. This had to be important. The only herb that I could think of was ginseng.

As Elder Zhu said; when in doubt, use ginseng. It is a pretty versatile herb, after all.

Raising my hand, I caught Ma Hualong’s attention. As soon as he walked up to my station, I spoke.

“Master Ma, is one of the ingredients ginseng?” I asked, my voice steady despite the tension gnawing at me.

He didn't answer for a brief moment, his brow furrowing slightly. "No," he finally replied.

Confusion washed over me. No? But... Elder Zhu's advice... the slicing... it all pointed to ginseng! Had I been too hasty? A cold dread trickled down my spine. What if I was wrong about everything? I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to banish the wave of self-doubt. There had to be another herb, another answer.

My mind raced, sifting through my knowledge of herbs. Honeysuckle? No, that was more for tonics. Moonlit Grace Lily? Too rare and difficult to obtain for a widespread antidote. Frustration gnawed at me. The clock was ticking, and I was running out of time.

Then it hit me – dandelion root. Of course! While not as potent as ginseng, it was known to enhance the detoxifying properties of other herbs, making it a valuable addition to any antidote. Plus, it was incredibly common, growing practically everywhere, and the root needed to be carefully sliced to prepare it properly. It fit perfectly within the context of the recipe.

A small smile tugged at my lips. Of course. Sometimes, the simplest solutions were the most effective. The Violet Bloom Antidote wasn't meant to be a luxurious concoction for the elite; it was a remedy for the masses, and dandelion root was the perfect embodiment of that principle.

As I scanned the remaining fragments of the recipe, I noticed that the final steps were blocked out, preventing me from determining whether the antidote was intended to be a pill or an elixir. Given the historical context, I recalled that elixirs were more common before the convenience of pills became widespread. Elixirs were particularly favored for their ease of consumption, especially by the elderly and young children. If this targeted people in varying stages of the Amethyst Plague, then they'd have consider the mode of delivery for those who were too weak to chew.

With that in mind, I decided to list the final ingredient as distilled water. It made sense—water was essential in the preparation of an elixir, providing a medium for dissolving and mixing the ingredients thoroughly.

I picked up my brush again and wrote down "distilled water" as the final ingredient. The list was now complete:

Wolfsbane, Bloodthorn Seeds, lotus rhizomes, skullcaps, dandelion root, and distilled water.

Why did I feel like I was missing something? Ma Hualong's pause when he answered my question. It felt like there was a 'but' that he wanted to say, but couldn't.

The ingredients seemed to cover all the symptoms and stages of the Amethyst Plague. The combination of immediate symptom relief, toxin absorption, and blood cleansing made this a comprehensive antidote. Even the Bloodthorn seeds made sense, capable of breaking down blood alongside the poison which reached the bloodstream. It was designed to combat the plague at every level, from the initial infection to the severe, life-threatening stages.

But Ma Hualong's hesitation still nagged at me. Had I overlooked something crucial?

I glanced at the other contestants. I know they already used their questions as well. Zhi Ruo was furiously scribbling notes, his face a mask of concentration. Jingyu Lian was calm, her eyes focused on her recipe with a determination that matched my own. Bai Hua, as always, appeared serene, though his eyes flicked over his ingredients with meticulous care.

There was no time to second-guess myself. I had to trust in my knowledge and my instincts. The pieces of the recipe were coming together, and now it was time to put them to the test.

Ma Hualong’s voice rang out again, breaking through my thoughts. “Stop! The preparation time has finished. Invigilators will be coming over to note down the ingredients you need. Specify what ingredients you require, and prepare your stations for the next stage of this round!”

I cracked my knuckles and sighed.

This was the final stretch. I couldn't lose focus here!